It’s Friday! Time to share a recipe in honor of a fun holiday coming up … Cinco De Mayo! We do have a small admission to make though. We know in the past, we have been big on posting these “Food Fridays”, and while we absolutely love sharing recipes with all of you (mostly because it forces us to think outside the box in our home kitchens and provide our families with new and improved dishes) we are going to try to say good-bye to this type of post for a little while. We are constantly trying to improve our blog and feel like this is not the right content to fit our brand. On a really positive note, business is growing and we feel that we have plenty of content to provide you all with interesting reading material, inspiration, and ideas in our two favorite areas … interiors and events. Great problem to have, right? We hope you enjoy today’s post, and know that we cannot wait to show you what we have planned for the month of May.

Recently, we discovered this recipe for blackened tilapia and it has become one of our favorites! It is seriously easy to make, full of awesome flavors, and everyone seems to like it! We decided this time to kick it up a notch and add it to our tacos.

Sometimes you just like to have options … For this meal, we had not one but two choices. Why not add some sauteed shrimp into the mix?

Toppings are super important when serving tacos for dinner. This time we offered avocado, green cabbage, shredded mozzarella cheese, and lime wedges. So good!

The finished product was absolutely delicious and fit for any Cinco De Mayo meal!

We have loved sharing this last Food Fridays post with all of you (for a while). Of course, we always welcome feedback. If you think we are making a huge mistake please feel free to let us know. Otherwise, go get your fiesta on! We will see you in May with lots of love for the interior and events sides of our business! Have a great weekend from Side by Side Design!

It’s the end of the month, and we are extremely grateful for all of the design challenges and experiences that have come our way. Today, we are continuing to try out a new feature on our blog (with a not so new name). We have used “Favorite Five” in the past to refer to some of your favorites … what has been highly liked on social media. Now we get the chance to show you some of our favorites … 5 things that truly made us happy in the great big world of design this month. Also a way for us to share sneak peeks into projects that are in the works but not quite ready to show in their entirety and highlight an interior or event vendor that deserves recognition. Enjoy!

#1: This wallpaper! Sometimes it’s just meant to be … The first time I saw this wallpaper I knew it was the perfect choice to complete my client’s master bathroom. I don’t remember if I even brought her any other options, but she was just as in love with it as I was. I am going to be starting some new projects with this client pretty soon, and I am excited to see what else we can find. (Written by Lauren)

#2: This girl! Now that my little girl is not so little anymore, I let her choose her own birthday theme. This is a normal topic of conversation in our home and has been for many months even though there is still time until we celebrate … June can’t come soon enough! Ava picked her theme (not quite ready to reveal it yet), but I still get to make some fun decor decisions and I have a few bigger surprises for her up my sleeve as well. For example, these plates I have been keeping my eye on since I first saw them on the shelves at Party City a few months ago. Thank goodness for after Easter sales! (Written by Lauren)

#3: This vignette! This little vignette has just been completed, and we love it so much. We are in the midst of sharing our Transitional Edge home tour and this little set up was not quite complete in time for the entry photos, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve some attention too! This Jonathan Adler bench is to die for and the art from Arteriors is so unique … Couldn’t be more perfect!

#4: This vendor! Thisis an example of true collaboration between a husband and wife. He’s a DJ, she’s a photographer, they booked the event together … and not only do they get to work Side by Side but it seems effortless. At one point we looked over and realized that he was taking photos too … Second shooter in his down time! What a dynamic duo! We are so lucky to have been able to work a wedding with these two (Ro and Kenan of Les Loups Pictures and Songs) and hope to do it again sometime soon. By the way, this gorgeous photo of Kenan was taken by the talented Ro … So proud of her hubby!

#5: This couple! There are no words! Marriage is a leap of faith and these two took their relationship to new heights up on the ropes course on their wedding day. I truly cannot thank Sasha and Mikey enough for trusting me to run the show on their wedding weekend up at camp! It was as beautiful as they are inside and out, and I am just so happy to have been a part of it. Stay tuned for all the details from this very special event … Coming soon! (Written by Tami)

Let us know what you think of our new post … Simply click the number next to the speech bubble icon below to leave a comment. All feedback is welcome and will be taken very seriously. We plan to continue sharing our “Favorite Five” in the month of May on the 31st, and of course will be sharing what’s inspiring us for the month ahead on the first Friday of the month. See ya soon!

Today we continue our Transitional Edge home tour! The next space we will be sharing is the family room which is a bit more casual than the formal living room we previously shared but still elegant nonetheless. All of the main common rooms (living room, dining room, and family room) are visible from the entry, so it was important to keep the same overall aesthetic throughout and the same level of formality. The client already had some pretty awesome pieces of furniture in this space but we refreshed some of them and added in lots of cool accessories to give it a new look.

None of the large pieces of furniture in this photo are new, but each has its own unique flair, and the gray linen fabric we selected to reupholster this incredible sofa helped to give the room its casual confidence.

The cabinetry in this space was refinished by Angel, and the backs and bases of this incredible set of chairs were refinished as well. I love how they turned out!

Angel added a touch of silver leaf to this awesome vessel. Such a special detail, and once again the art in this room brings a fun element of color to the space.

In this photo, you can see how the whole room works together. I absolutely love the warmth this custom iron chandelier brings to the space.

I selected this pair of hurricane lanterns to sit on the fireplace hearth …

… and another one with cool chain detailing for the side table. A few fun interior design books and an awesome smelling candle complete its decor.

To soften up the space, this rug was purchased from Restoration Hardware and custom Roman shades were made with an interesting textured fabric.

I love the balance of the modern, clean lines in this room mixed with overly organic pieces, and the lamp in that back corner is simply stunning with the custom linen shade we had made.

I also love the large horse hair bowl and how the over abundance of pillows brings in the colors from other areas of the room.

Another example of an amazing piece of art this client already had. I believe it does the same thing for this space that the light fixture does, which is to bring warmth and creativity to the room.

This completes the downstairs portion from our Transitional Edge home tour. It was such a pleasure to be a part of this project, and I am enjoying every bit of sharing our hard work with all of you! I look forward to sharing the master suite next … Coming soon!

For more information on our design services email us at info@sbsdesignla.com.

By taking one of the looks from our Get Inspired: April boards, we are providing our readers with further information for where to purchase similar items with a range of price points (from super affordable to fancy and one of a kind).

Now that it’s Spring we are all about organizing our stuff! We have prepared a list of 5 interior items and 5 coordinating event items that will help you to add some fresh new things into your space and get organized in style. We have also included a link for each item for your convenience in obtaining them. Enjoy!

In our last post, we began our Transitional Edge home tour. We showed you the entry for this beautiful space and couldn’t be more proud of how this project has come together. The next space in our tour is the formal living room. I wish I could take complete credit for this space as it is truly beautiful. However, a lot of the main pieces had already been purchased when I began working on this project, the room had been painted, and the draperies installed. It just goes to show what an incredible eye this client really has, but I am proud to say that I had a hand in completing the room and tying it all together.

I don’t honestly remember what color the fireplace wall was before we refinished it. It was just such a clear choice to me for it to be painted white since the walls were already so dark, and I wanted it to tie into the ceiling. We used a pearlized finish applied by our favorite faux finisher of course, Angel, which has a really nice effect when you’re in the space.

The client purchased the rug and the mirror from Restoration Hardware, and I love how they add interest and help to lighten up the space. They also tied in beautifully with the coffee table and chairs she purchased from Ralph Lauren Home and the amazing sofas she picked up in Milan.

This custom chandelier really finished it all off, and those orange pillows … What a fun pop of color!

The main thing I helped with in this particular room was accessory selection. I scoured my favorite websites (Clayton Gray, Neiman Marcus, RL Home, and Arteriors … to name a few) and handpicked each of the coffee table books (based on their color and content, of course) as well as this beautiful silver tray.

I also picked out both sets of candle holders in this photo. Each item we selected ties into the modern design and shows off our love for an earthy edge.

I remember the first time I entered this client’s home I turned to my dad (who introduced me to her) and said, “You didn’t tell me how similar our tastes are.” I absolutely love working on each and every project I have had the opportunity to design, but when a client’s taste is so in line with your own it becomes effortless and hardly feels like work. I still have a few more spaces in this home to share. Check back Monday for the family room next!

For more information on our design services email us at info@sbsdesignla.com.